Meet Christine Badoux

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Badoux.

Christine, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a child growing up in Connecticut, I always loved and connected with animals and nature, but horses weren’t part of my everyday world. It wasn’t until I was well into my adult years and living in Arizona that something awakened in me and I discovered what so many others had discovered before me. Horses are innate teachers and healers.

A little over ten years ago, I heard about an “equine experience” that was being offered at a resort in Tucson. Without really understanding what it was all about, I was intrigued and decided to give it a try. The purpose of the experience wasn’t to learn horsemanship, but instead to let the horses teach us something about ourselves. Instead of riding, we were instructed to groom a horse and then to lift its hoof to clean it. The takeaway was in noticing how everyone approached and did the task, as well as how the horse responded to us while we were doing it. The experience served as a magnified metaphor for our everyday lives. Each horse quickly showed us something about who we were and how we go about doing things.

I was fascinated by how quickly the experience brought up so much in all of us. The horses were not only teaching me about myself, but they were also giving me an authentic glimpse at everyone else there. For a long time after, I would find myself reflecting on the experience and consciously evaluating how what showed up out there (my behaviors, my approach to life, the horse’s response to me) also showed up in my personal and professional life. Ultimately, it was a catalyst that left me wanting to learn more about horses, as well as myself.

A few years later, my children (Isabelle and Alex) and I began volunteering at the Tierra Madre Horse and Human Sanctuary. We loved our time with the horses and very quickly realized that no matter how much we tried, they were usually doing far more for us than we were doing for them.  Each horse at the sanctuary has its own story of healing and resilience, and they seem to inspire the same in the people around them.

Motivated by this synergy of healing that I was witnessing in myself and others, and believing that the sanctuary’s horses had much to teach us, I began to feel that we could create an equine experiential coaching program that would benefit both horses and humans. So, with the support of Jim Gath, the founder of Tierra Madre, I created my Equine Experiential Coaching company. Today, I offer private coaching sessions, workshops and retreats at the sanctuary that encourage people to mindfully interact with horses to learn more about themselves. I love collaborating with the sanctuary because it allows people to help support the horses while investing in their well being.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think anyone fortunate enough to pursue their dreams is bound to feel like they’re having a few nightmares along the way! Becoming an entrepreneur has been full of lessons and learning curves for me and I have had to expand my comfort zone. When I focus on purpose more than profit, I remember how privileged I feel whenever I get to witness people and horses connecting in a significant and soul-based way. Having support and guidance from other entrepreneurs, family and friends has also been vital, as we can share experiences and learn from each other.

Please tell us about your company.
As the founder of Equine Experiential Coaching, the “why” behind my business has always been to help save horses’ lives by providing them with meaningful opportunities to positively impact people’s lives. I do this by offering equine-assisted life coaching sessions, workshops and retreats that focus on learning and connecting with horses through groundwork. I also collaborate with licensed mental health professionals to offer Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) to their clients.

Our sessions and events help people accelerate their personal and professional development and enhance other therapeutic modalities because horses are amazing teachers and healers. They have the natural ability to sense things in us that we might not already know about ourselves. When we mindfully interact with them, we increase our self-awareness, strengthen our intuition and improve our communication and perception skills. We also get to have a little fun in the process since the horses make it playful and grounding.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Thanks to the work of organizations such as the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) and the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH) equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) has become increasingly well known and respected as an evidence-based treatment for trauma, addiction, eating disorders, anxiety, depression and other emotional disorders. As a result, we are seeing more media coverage on the benefits of equine therapy for veterans, first responders and people healing from trauma.

I believe the next shift will be an increase in awareness of the benefits of equine-assisted learning (EAL) as a transformational form of wellness for all people. Much like yoga or meditation, more people will seek it as a way to improve their emotional, spiritual and physical health. I look forward to offering more events and sessions that combine meditation and journaling with equine-assisted activities. I also plan to continue focusing on animal advocacy by demonstrating that horse sanctuaries can be ideal settings for this powerful work. When horses and people heal together it’s empathetic and efficient because of everyone benefits.

Pricing:

• Private 1.5 hour sessions are $195
• Private 1 hour (follow-up) sessions are $150
• Call for group or special event pricing

Contact Info:

• Website: www.christinebadoux.com
• Phone: (602) 380-1948
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinebadoux/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christine.badoux.10
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-badoux/

Image Credit:
LizLeeStudios

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